The present invention relates to an absorbent disposable incontinence diaper of the open type, having a rear region, a front region, and a crotch region lying therebetween, and having a main part with an inner side which when in use faces the body and an outer side which when in use faces away from the body, and having discrete lateral parts which are joined onto the first and second lateral periphery of the main part. The disposable incontinence diaper is envisaged for adults and is configured as a disposal diaper, that is to say conceived for single use.
Disposable incontinence diapers of this type are also known from WO2004/105668A1, for example.
In disposable incontinence diapers of this type the mentioned lateral parts may be formed from another material than the main part. For example, the lateral parts, which often are also referred to as “ears” of the disposable incontinence diaper may be configured so as to be breathable, in particular so as to be permeable to air and water vapor, whereas the main part is implemented so as to be impermeable to fluid.
In order for the disposable incontinence diaper to be closed, the lateral parts, which preferably are joined in an unreleasable manner to the rear region, are folded onto the stomach side of the user and there, either by way of the outer side of the front region of the main part or by way of the outer side of the lateral parts of the front region, connected in a releasable manner.
In as far as a disposable incontinence diaper of this type is equipped with mechanical closure aids, the problem arises that a corresponding landing region which has to be engageable with the Velcro-type hooks has to be provided on the outer side of the front region of the diaper for the closure aids which are usually disposed on the rear lateral parts and mostly implemented as Velcro-type hooks.
However, the outer side of the main part of such disposable incontinence diapers is usually formed using a film material, in order to prevent leakage of fluid through the absorbent element to the outside. The lateral parts of disposable incontinence diapers of this type preferably are formed from smooth non-woven materials, in order to improve the skin friendliness of the diaper where no reliable fluid barrier is required. A landing area for securing the Velcro-type hooks on the outer side of the front region of the diaper would thus require the application of an additional material, in particular a textile loop component which is known per se. However, loop components of this type would have to extend across vast parts of the front region of the outer side of the diaper, in order to ensure the high degree of flexibility in size adjustment required in disposable incontinence diapers (diapers for adults). Since textile loop components represent a substantial cost factor, a solution of this type is already precluded for economic reasons.
Furthermore, it has been demonstrated in disposable incontinence diapers of the known type that the subjective perception of diaper comfort differs significantly, despite the skin friendly lateral parts which are permeable to air and water vapor.
It has already been proposed in DE102009016381A1 to form the main part as an integral unit from a top sheet, a non-woven film laminate as a back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed therebetween. Four discrete lateral parts are joined onto this main part at the rear and the front.